


I Can't Imagine a World with you Gone

by RobinsonsWereHere



Series: Perfectly Balanced [2]
Category: Psych
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Episode: s04e16 Mr. Yin presents ..., F/M, Kidnapping, Serial Killers, Shules, The Author Regrets Nothing, This is so intense, hitchcock references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-21 23:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17651897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinsonsWereHere/pseuds/RobinsonsWereHere
Summary: Shawn and Juliet are dating by the time Yin comes knocking, but he still wants to torment the SBPD.One one side of the city is Detective Juliet O'Hara, tied to a clock tower. On the other, five-year-old Iris Vick is at the end of a much less clear trail of clues.If they thought Yang was sick, they haven't seen anything yet.





	1. Uncertainty of What's to Come

**Author's Note:**

> So, in this AU Abigail dumped Shawn when she left for Uganda. He and Jules have been dating for a few weeks by the time Yin shows up. This makes everything so, so much worse.

Shawn doesn’t like this one bit. He didn’t like it when Mary met them at the diner and insisted Yang had a partner, he didn’t like it when their waitress turned up strangled and suddenly they were playing the same sick game all over again, and he absolutely hated it when he got everything wrong and had to watch helplessly as Mary Lightly, whose only crime was a bit of creepy over enthusiasm, died in his arms. Now the not-psychic is staring at a screenplay written by a fucking serial killer that will apparently star him and almost everyone he cares about, from his best friend since childhood to his girlfriend of only a few weeks. He’s back to playing a game with literally deadly consequences and he hasn’t even told her he loves her yet.

Looking at the aforementioned screenplay, Shawn can’t help but feel like there’s some detail that he’s missing. Although the rest of the clue makes it clear which of them correlates to which actor, Juliet is the only one mentioned by name in the script. Something about that doesn’t sit well with him, or rather, it sits even worse than the rest of it. Part of Shawn wants to mention it to the rest of the assembled company, but then he remembers his last half-baked lead, and how it had ended with Mary bleeding to death. Shawn swallows and says nothing, until his dad walks through the door.

“Karen, I got your message,” Henry says. “Something about a serial killer and a screenplay?”

“Yang had a partner, Henry,” the chief replies. “We’ve all got to play this game one more time.” Shawn looks from her to the projector to his father, understanding and horror dawning on him.

“Sean Connery,” says the older Spencer, with an ‘it could be worse’ shrug.

“Dad,” Shawn argues, “Say no.”

“Shawn, the last time this happened, these psychopaths targeted you specifically, _and_ we almost lost your mom. I gotta do this, to keep you safe,” he insists.

“Dad, I have enough to worry about, with Gus and Jules already in this-”

“Shawn, how do you not see how non-negotiable this is?”

“Gentlemen!” The chief interrupts. “Mr. Yin has decided that both of you have a role to play in his game. You don’t get a choice!” She levels an icy glare at them and both men slowly sink back into their seats. “Now, listen up. He wants you to come alone, but there’s no way that’s going to happen. We’re already risking a lot by playing this game, and at the very least I’m going to give you all a backup plan.”

“Snipers?” Guesses Lassie.

“You bet your ass,” responds Chief Vick. She continues explaining, laying out the rest of the plan. 

It feels like it takes forever, but then Shawn blinks and it’s eight o’clock. The five of them file out of the office, shoulders back and chins up as they all try to mask their fear and uncertainty of what’s to come. Shawn takes Juliet’s hand, not even bothering to be discreet. She squeezes his in response. He steps closer to her, needing her warmth and physical presence to prepare himself. Shawn hears her take a deep breath.

It’ll all be over in a few hours, one way or another.

////////////////

Shawn’s brain is working double-time as he sits in the wheelchair, scanning the ‘movie set’ for anything suspicious. His dad and Lassie are in the car and Gus is headed for the life preserver, leaving only Jules standing in the center of it all. Even from this high up, she looks beautiful, moonlight glinting off of her blonde hair and making her seem to glow. Shawn shakes himself from his trance; he can’t afford to get distracted now. A flickering neon sign catches his eye, and he recognizes it as the bar from _Vertigo_ . “Jules, that’s Ernie’s bar,” he says.

“Kim Novak. That’s me,” she responds. He watches as she moves toward the building.

“Jules, wait, I don’t like this,” Shawn says, fear suddenly paralyzing him.

“Neither do I, Shawn, we’re not supposed to,” she replies, not stopping.

“If you go in the bar I won’t be able to see you,” he says.

“I’ll still be on comms, Shawn,” she assures him as she slips through the door.

_yeah. You’ll still be able to hear her,_ Shawn reminds himself.

No sooner has the thought crossed his mind than ear-splitting, discordant music comes blasting through his earpiece.

/////////////

Juliet paces slowly through the bar, on high alert now that her radio has been rendered useless. If something goes wrong, she’s on her own. Just as she reaches the wall behind the bar, she hears a noise from the entrance. She aims her gun at it, but it’s only Gus.

“Juliet, are you okay?” he asks. “We can’t hear or see you now.”

“I’m fine, Gus,” she says. Glancing at the countertop, she notices a piece of paper. “Pour us a drink… fall for me,” she murmurs. _It’s a trap door._ She looks at Gus as she moves the glass below the tap. “Gus…” she starts.

“Juliet, what are you doing?” He asks.

She takes a deep breath. “I have to do this, Gus. I’m going to do this.” She reaches for the lever. “Tell Shawn…” Her hand is shaking. “Tell Shawn I love him.” She pulls the tap towards her.

As she plummets down, she hears Gus scream her name.

///////////////

Karen gets her headset on just in time to hear several things happen at once. Shawn Spencer is demanding that Guster enlighten him on some new development, in such a frantic and unceasing fashion that she can barely hear Gus’ answer: apparently, O’Hara has fallen through a trapdoor. The chief curses under her breath, then adjusts her mic.

“O’Hara, somebody, come in,” she orders.

“Somebody tell me where my partner is before I shoot this fucking window out!” Lassiter yells.

“We don’t know, Lassie, I have no idea where she is, Gus, _what happened?_ ” Shawn rambles.

“Detective Lassiter, stand down!” Vick orders. “Mr. Guster, tell me what _exactly_ happened with this ‘trap door’.”

“She knew it was there,” Gus answers. “Hang on, I’m going in-”

“Gus, no!”

“You will do no such thing!”

“There’s a tunnel down here!” Guster exclaims, proving that he’s ignored both her and Shawn. “No sign of Juliet, though.”

“Gus, are you out of your damn mind?” demands Henry. 

“Where are you, Guster? I’ll follow you,” says Lassiter. Karen realizes she’s rapidly losing control of the situation. 

“Negative, Detective,” she says.

“Excuse me?”

“Guster, are you seeing anything?”

“No… Yin must have been waiting for the moment she pulled the lever.”

“Alright then. Get out of there. All of you, regroup. We need to get back to the station to plan our next move.”

“You mean wait for Yin to reveal it,” Shawn corrects, his voice bitter.

“No, Mr. Spencer, I do not,” Karen assures him. “But right now, we can’t do anything from here.”

“We can’t just _leave her,_ ” spits Lassiter. “The more time we spend arguing, the further away she gets!”

“Carlton. I understand your predicament, but as of right now, _we are not equipped to conduct a manhunt through an unmapped tunnel system._ Get your ass back here before I take you off this case.”

“Copy,” comes the grudging reply.

Slowly, four of her five-person team arrive at her surveillance van. Lassiter has a white-knuckled grip on his sidearm. Shawn looks as though he’s been punched in the stomach. Henry is wearing a scowl that she recognizes from his years on the force; it’s the look he gets when he’s tired of being messed with and fully ready to rip a criminal apart with his bare hands. Guster is full-on shaking as he hands a familiar handgun to Lassiter.

“Alright,” Karen tells them, huffing out a sigh. “Time for a new plan.”


	2. Helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helpless (adj.)  
> 1\. Lacking protection or support: Defenseless  
> 2\. Marked by an inability to act or react

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought last chapter was bad... this one's worse.

Henry hasn’t felt this helpless since that time in 1987 when a drug ring had taken Shawn hostage. He’s been sitting in Karen’s office for almost an hour now, trying to comfort his son with empty reassurances that don’t even sound good in his head. He’s not really sure what exactly the relationship between Shawn and Juliet is, but he hasn’t seen his son cry for several decades, and until maybe ten minutes ago, Shawn had had his head in his hands as his shoulders shook, though he didn’t make a sound. A few minutes ago he’d stood abruptly and left for the vending machine.

Detective Lassiter is the polar opposite of Shawn; his face is void of any emotion and he’s been sitting still as a statue the entire time, hand around the gun in his lap. It’s not his, no, Lassiter’s gun (or at least one of them) is holstered under his jacket. The weapon he’s gripping like a lifeline is the last trace they have of Detective O’Hara.

Gus looks deep in thought, but he and Henry both look up as Shawn comes back through the door. “Fritos?” He asks weakly. 

“Sure, Shawn,” Gus sighs. 

Henry takes some too, then gives Shawn a heavy pat on the shoulder. He can’t find any words, but he doesn’t think talking would help much anyway. They sit in silence for a few more minutes, and then Karen’s phone rings. All four of them lean forward with bated breath.

“It’s my husband,” she says, and a round of disappointed sighs follows. She answers the phone. “Richard, this is not a good time.”

They wait with varying levels of interest as the conversation continues. “Well, yes, but I’m not allowed to share details about the case. You know that.”

Another pause. “Yes, why?”

Whatever Richard says on the other end of the line makes Karen go ashen and lean on the desk for support. “Oh my god,” she says, her voice suddenly soft. Around the room, Shawn, Gus, and Lassiter all look worried and confused. They have no clue what could possibly have been said to garner that reaction from the normally cool and collected chief, but Henry does. He recognizes the look on his friend’s face, because he’s been there too often. Henry knows what it’s like to hear that the one person you would do anything to protect is in danger. He knows because Shawn, over the past few years, has been kidnapped or hurt or threatened entirely too many times, and every time it happens, it takes another year off of Henry’s life.

“Bring the note and get down here ASAP,” Karen tells her husband. She hangs up.

“Karen,” says Henry, hoping with all his heart that he’s wrong.

For the first time any of them have heard, the chief’s voice shakes as she addresses the room. “Yin has my daughter.”

////////////

Juliet wakes blearily in the back of a taxi, which throws her off for a bit. After a few seconds of confusion, she ascertains that Yin is in the driver’s seat, so she’s still in danger, and the car is probably stolen. She shifts a bit, trying to figure out where she is without drawing her captor’s attention. As the detective rolls over, however, the sight in front of her makes her gasp a little in shock. She recognizes Iris Vick immediately, memories surfacing of the young girl laughing and chasing a colorful beach ball through a crowd of officers at an SBPD beach picnic. Now the chief’s daughter is lying unconscious next to Juliet, another victim in Yin’s sick game.

 _Not if I can help it,_ Juliet thinks, a look of determination sweeping over her face. Attempting to reach for Iris, she realizes her hands are tied behind her back. She swears quietly. “Iris?” she asks,keeping her voice low, lest Yin notice she’s awake.

The small girl stirs. She blinks awake and focuses on Juliet. “...’tective O’Hara?” she mumbles, her face scrunching up in confusion.

“Yeah, Iris,that’s me,” Juliet says.

“There’s a mean shadow man,” says the five-year-old. “I thought it was a bad dream.” She looks around, growing more fearful by the second. “I want my mom.”

“I know, Iris, I’m sorry this is happening. You’re being really, really brave. I’m gonna get you back to your mom, don’t worry,” Juliet promises, noticing with a sense of dread that the car has stopped. She can see ocean out of the window. “I’m gonna keep you safe,” she repeats.

“I’m scared,” says Iris, her eyes wide and round.

“That’s okay, this is kinda scary. We’ll be okay,” Juliet says. _How many times do you have to say something to make it come true?_

The door opens, and Yin, who does look like a ‘mean shadow man’ in his black morph suit, appears. Juliet props herself up on an elbow, trying to shield Iris with her own petite form. “You son of a b-utterscotch,” she snarls, realizing at the last second that Iris is still listening. “What kind of f-udging _psychopath_ kidnaps a _five-year-old?”_

Instead of answering her, Yin presses a cloth to Juliet’s face. She tries not to inhale, but the fumes are overpowering. As she collapses back onto the seat of the taxi, the last thing she sees is Yin pulling a struggling Iris from the vehicle.

_No, don’t. Not Iris, please._

////////////////

Half an hour ago, Detective O’Hara falling into Yin’s trap was the worst possible thing that could have happened while the six of them played the game. Now, Karen is staring at another cryptic clue her husband had found in the bed her daughter should have occupied and she has never been so terrified in her life. _Focus,_ she tells herself. _Panicking won’t save anyone._

“Alright. Listen up, everyone. Yin has taken a civilian." _A civilian? Your daughter in in danger!_ Karen shakes herself, knowing she needs to stay professional- if she loses it, if she lets this psychopath get in her head, Yin wins. “It’s a whole new ballgame now,” she continues. “As much as it sickens me to choose, Iris has to be our priority. Unfortunately, we have-” the chief glances at the paper in her hand _(catch me if you can)_ “No leads on either victim. At this point, I’m done waiting around-”

Shawn’s phone ringing cuts her off. They all stare as he pulls it from his pocket and reads the screen. “It’s her,” he says breathlessly. Answering, he puts it on speaker and places the phone on Karen’s desk. “What’s the clue?” He demands.

“Shawn,” comes O’Hara’s voice, wavering but clear. “I’ll _drop by_ at _half past four._ My hands are on my face. Please come quickly, or it could get messy-” her tone changes as she finishes the riddle too fast. _“He has the chief’s daughter, save Iri-”_

The line goes dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I always love feedback <3


	3. Impossible Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to choose. Emotions are running high. Will this spell disaster for the SBPD?

Shawn glares at the phone in front of him, a strange combination of numbness and burning anger coursing through his veins. _”Fuck,”_ he growls.

“Shawn,” mutters his dad.

“Seriously, Dad? Are you really gonna scold me for cursing right now?”

“Hey, morons,” interrupts Lassiter. “She’s gotta be on the clock tower. This is still _Vertigo._ Let’s go!”

“Not so fast, Detective,” says the chief. “Protocol dictates that civilian hostages take precedence.”

“Chief, I understand that your daughter is in danger, but we know where O’Hara is! We have-” he looks at his watch- “Under two hours to get to her before-”

“I am aware of the situation, Lassiter, and the situation is this: my daughter is five years old. She does not have training in self-defense. She has not gone through the police academy. It is my responsibility as her mother and as the Chief of Police to find her and get her to safety.”

“It sound like O’Hara is pretty damn helpless herself, at the moment!”

“This is not your decision to make!”

“Ready the units, Chief. Start a manhunt, do whatever you need to do. I’ll be going to get my partner now.”

“Detective, if you step out that door-”

“I know where she is! I don’t need a gun or a badge to save her! There is _nothing_ you can say to change my mind.”

There’s a solid thirty seconds of tense silence, and Shawn is nearly certain that Lassie’s gotten himself fired. Then, the chief speaks. “Go.”

Lassiter nods once, then turns to Shawn. “Spencer, you coming?”

Shawn opens his mouth, then closes it. On one hand, he’s not sure he could live in a world without Jules. On the other, she would surely kill him if he chose to go after her and then something happened to Iris. He swallows and looks from Lassie to Chief Vick and back again. _It’s my fake psychic thing that put them both in danger in the first place,_ he thinks. He closes his eyes, and images flash through his mind: his mom, sitting in the car at the drive-in. Mary, bleeding to death in his arms. Juliet, the last time he’d seen her, prowling through the movie set in the moonlight. He recalls her plea at the end of the phone call. _”He has the chief’s daughter, save Iris!”_ “Gus,” Shawn says, his voice hoarse. “Gus, go with Lassie. Save Jules. As soon as we get Iris, I’ll follow you.”

The friends exchange glances, Gus clearly reluctant to leave Shawn while he’s so unstable. Finally, Gus moves toward Lassie. Without further discussion, the two of them disappear. Shawn sighs shakily and turns to his dad and the chief. “What’s our next move?”

///////////////

‘Fear’ isn’t an adequate word to describe what Juliet O’Hara is feeling. She’s not sure there is a word that could convey this unyielding sense of dread and despair that is coursing through her body. She’s spent the last few hours dangling over the city she’d sworn years earlier to protect and by three-thirty am, she’s not sure how much more of this she can take. Every time the minute hand on the clock behind her moves, she jumps. Every time she jumps, the chair she’s tied to shifts. It’s a torturous cycle. The detective is emotionally and physically exhausted, but there’s too much adrenaline in her system for rest. _Hold on,_ she tells herself. _One more hour._

//////////////

Henry watches as Karen loads and holsters her gun, mouth moving a mile a minute. After years on the force, Henry has perfected the art of picking up important information without really listening; the new plan is to visit Yang in the asylum. 

“Are we leaving now?” Richard is asking.

“ _We_ are not leaving,” Karen responds. “You’re a civilian-”

“I’m your husband! This is our daughter we’re talking about!”

 

“Damnit, Richard, you think I don’t know that!?” She snaps, her words burning with emotion. “Yang is just our first stop. I’m not bringing you along when this has the potential to turn ugly. I’m not putting another person I love in danger.”

Richard concedes this with a heavy sigh. “At least take Henry.”

Henry jumps on this. “Of course. There’s no way I’m not going.”

Karen glares at him. “You are also a civilian.”

Henry grimaces at that, but a solution presents itself in little time. “Well, then, I accept.”

“What?”

“Your job offer. I accept. I am no longer a civilian.”

The look he gets for this might have sent a lesser man to his grave. As it is, Henry takes a step back.

“Fine,” Karen spits, never one to waste time arguing a lost cause. “Both of the Spencers will come with me. Richard, I will call you as soon as I know anything, but until I do, you need to stay here.”

“Alright,” Richard concedes, sighing. The look of worry in his eyes reminds Henry of all the times he’d left Maddie behind with only a quick kiss and vague promise that he’d return.

“Shawn, let’s go,” he says, starting down the hall from the bullpen and beckoning for his son to follow. Thankfully, Shawn gets the hint and follows without question. “You good, kid?” Henry asks as they near the atrium.

“Of course,” retorts Shawn, sarcasm dripping from his words. “I’m on a wild goose chase to save a five-year-old, there’s a serial killer trying to play some sick game with me, and the woman I love is approximately one hour away from death! I’m fucking _peachy._ ”

“Sorry. That was a stupid question.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have to snap at you.”

Henry throws an arm over Shawn’s shoulder and his son leans into it. They stay like that until Karen rounds the corner, a determined scowl on her face. “Ready, boys?” She asks.

“As we’ll ever be.”

/////////////////

 

Karen doesn’t mince words as the doors to Yang’s hall sweep open. “Where is she?”

Yang has the audacity to laugh. “I thought you already knew. Isn’t that where Detective Lassiter is?”

“I’m not talking about O’Hara,” growls the chief. Yang simply smiles and sits back on her bed.

Stepping closer, Karen hits the psychopath with a withering glare. “Where. Is. My. Daughter.”

“This isn’t an interrogation room, Chief,” she responds. Karen thinks that’s probably a good thing because if this woman were cuffed across a table from her instead of relaxing behind a window, she probably wouldn’t be able to resist ripping her limb from limb. “I don’t have to tell you anything I don’t want to,” Yang continues.

“Then what do you want to tell us?” Shawn asks from behind her. Karen gives him a sharp look, but apparently that’s the question Yang was waiting for.

“I have so much I want to say to you, Shawn, but I’m afraid we don’t have enough time! Or, rather, Juliet doesn’t,” she adds with a sickening giggle. “I guess I’ll just say that this place has pretty lousy cameras, for such a high-security building, so don’t bother trying to find him on the cameras.” With that, she pulls a sheet of paper from under her blankets and hands it through the opening in the glass. “It’s a shame they won’t give me any writing utensils; my partner could really use some tips on his rhyme scheme.”

Karen takes the piece of paper from the psychic. It’s got a yin-yang at the top of it, with lines of typed text underneath. “They have stationary now,” Shawn informs her solemnly. She gives him a look and then peruses the riddle.

**Time and tide wait for nobody  
And neither do I  
Cast off, sail away  
Is it safe to listen  
For the Siren Song?**

Fantastic. Now, if she could just figure out what it meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The riddle was ridiculously hard to write. I don't know why. I swear it would have been easier if I'd had to make it rhyme.


	4. Time and Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People are found, but are they saved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, normally I aim for around 1000 words a chapter. This one is 2302. I didn't want to cut off halfway through the action, though, so I just let it be long.

_Time and tide wait for nobody_

_Cast off_

_Sail away_

Karen opens her eyes. “Got it,” she says, moving quickly down the hall without further comment.

“Great,” says Henry, following. “Are you gonna enlighten the rest of us?”

“Stearns Wharf,” she replies, holding up her badge as she passes through the security station at the end of the hall. “We went sailing as a family a few weeks ago. The clue is entirely nautical. Let’s _go,_ ” she adds, sweeping through the final door and out into the chill of the night. The Spencers hurry to follow.

////////////////

Gus clings tightly to his seat as Lassiter tears through the near-deserted streets of Santa Barbara. Four am on a Wednesday is thankfully not a peak hour for nightlife. The Crown Vic bumps over a curb as Lassie takes a particularly sharp turn, and Gus struggles not to vomit. “Lassiter, could you please slow down?” He asks weakly. “We won’t be any help to Juliet if we careen off a bridge.”

Lassiter growls and slams the accelerator further down.

/////////////

Karen is trying to drive to the wharf, get her husband to stay put, and make both Spencers shut the hell up about her driving, all at once. It’s about as difficult as it sounds. To Richard, she says “I promise I will call you _the moment_ Iris is safe,” and then to Shawn, “I am the chief of police, I do not need to obey the speed limit when I am in pursuit of justice!” Henry says something along the lines of “you’re going to get us all killed” and Karen curses in frustration and snaps her head around to give him a burning glare.

“Okay! I’m sorry! Keep your eyes on the road, please!”

“Richard, I’ll call you back. Love you.” She hangs up and turns her attention to the Spencers. “Both of you stop talking or I’m kicking you both out of this car and you can walk to the pier.” Thankfully, they shut up.

////////////////

Juliet feels sick as the clock ticks above her head. Four-twenty. The detective closes her eyes to avoid looking at the road beneath her. She swallows hard, determined not to let the tears she feels coming spill over her cheeks. Even if this night is her last, even if she doesn’t live to see the sunrise, she will not give this insane, sadistic killer the satisfaction of making her cry.

Another minute passes. She jumps at the metallic grinding from the clock.

She won’t cry.

Eyes still closed, it seems like the world has gotten a thousand times louder.

She won’t cry.

Tires screech beneath her. She doesn’t look and she doesn’t see that it’s Lassiter’s blue Crown Vic.

She won’t cry.

////////////////

Henry’s gaze roams from the pier to the horizon and back. As far as he can tell, the whole wharf is deserted.

“She’s under the dock,” Karen says, stripping off her blazer.

“Are you sure?” Henry asks, not thinking.

She gives him a disdainful glance and drops her sidearm and badge as well.

“Okay, yeah, stupid question,” Henry mutters. Karen simply moves further down the pier to the deeper water, then dives off the edge. Shrugging, Henry ditches his own jacket. “Follow the leader, I guess,” he says to himself.

///////////////

Lassiter intends to open the door with his shoulder and continue up the staircase. Instead, he body slams a very locked door in a way that makes it feel like his shoulder has been dislocated. After he aims several obscenities and a bullet at the lock, it opens. He looks over his shoulder to make sure Guster is following and then charges up the stairs. Because it is literally impossible for a single thing to go right for him tonight, the elevator is out of order. He exchanges a glance with Guster, who looks _really_ apprehensive at the prospect of several more stories worth of stairs. Maybe in a different situation the head detective would agree, but right now, the only important thing is finding O’Hara. “We don’t have all night, Guster,” he growls, before setting up the stairs at a run.

///////////////

Karen makes it under the pier easily; swimming is a skill she’s had since childhood. After a few seconds of adjusting to the dark, she spots her daughter. Relief and fear rush over her simultaneously. “Iris,” she calls, swimming towards her.

“Mommy!” Iris screams “Mom!”

“I’m right here,” Karen assures as she reaches the post. “I’m gonna get you out of this, okay?”

Iris nods, sniffling. Karen begins pulling at the knots as Henry arrives. He has a quicker solution and holds up his swiss army knife for her approval. Karen nods. “Careful with that knife, Spencer.”

“‘Course,” he replies, then dives under the water to get at the lower ropes. They work for a few minutes, Karen comforting her daughter every time she comes up for air and all of them trying to ignore the steadily rising water level. Then, from somewhere near shore, they hear yelling and then a splash. Henry looks apprehensive.

“Give me the knife,” Karen tells him. He does so and then heads off to find his son.

///////////////

Shawn is standing on the pier, ready to dive into the water when he sees him. Yin, once again in literally head-to-toe black, is maybe three yards away from him. Shawn stops breathing, afraid to look away. The chief’s discarded gun is right behind him, but he knows if he takes the time to grab it Yin will disappear. Naturally, the only remaining option is for the psychic to launch himself off of the pier at the serial killer. This catches Yin off guard for an instant and makes both of them stumble into the shallows. Shawn nearly loses his balance but manages to drive an elbow into the tall man's gut. Unfortunately, Yin retaliates with a taser to Shawn's ribs, the effect of which is exacerbated by the water they're standing in. He falls with a large splash and for a few terrifying moments, he lies there unable to breathe or move himself out of the water. Then his dad is there, yelling his name and pulling them back onto the dock. Shawn collapses onto the wood, trying to speak but unable to do anything but gasp for breath. “You’re okay,” Henry tells him. “Deep breaths. You’re okay.”

////////////////

Juliet flinches at the bang of the door opening before she realizes what it means. “O’Hara!” yells a familiar voice. She nearly laughs aloud from sheer relief, and maybe a little bit of hysteria. “How do we undo this!?” Lassiter demands. 

“Lassie, I think she’s gagged,” Gus points out, sounding strained, as if he’s pulling at something heavy. Lassiter curses. 

“Hold on, both of you. I’ll fix this,” he promises. Juliet hears the door close again. 

“Hurry! I can’t hold this for long!” Gus calls, and Juliet realizes he must be physically holding the minute hand back. She’s impressed. Scared out of her mind, but impressed.

////////////////

“Dad- Yin was right there- I could’ve- I almost-” Shawn is still choking on the words as they leave his mouth.

“Shawn, relax. It’s okay,” Henry repeats. Shawn struggle to get up. “Where do you think you’re going?” His dad demands.

“Iris,” Shawn pants. “I wanna help-”

“You helped us find her, kid, you did good. Now take a breather,” Henry says. “Sit this out.”

Shawn wants to argue but his limbs still feel like jelly. He lies back and closes his eyes, listening to his dad’s footsteps get further away, and then the splash as he dives back into the water. After a few seconds’ rest, the psychic lifts his arm and examines his (thankfully waterproof) watch. 4:29 and 43 seconds. He stares at it for the next seventeen, then lets his arm fall to his side and gazes at the slowly lightening heavens. 

“Hey, God,” he says, still breathing heavily. “I know, I’ve had problems with you in the past. But I go to church on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday, and Gus says forgiveness is, like, your thing. So, I just, I really need Jules to be okay, alright? I need her to be safe, man. She’s the one that keeps me sane, her and Gus. Without them, I’d fall to pieces.” Shawn closes his eyes again. “Please let her be alright.”

//////////////

There are too many moving pieces. Lassiter has no idea what does what and is limited by time and bullets. He sees one obvious solution: stop the gears. _But with what?_ He looks around and sees nothing. It would take something pretty heavy to make the gears stick, too; probably metal of a high or industrial grade… like the kind they use to make government-issued sidearms…

It’s a testament to his affection for his partner that Lassiter doesn’t think twice when the solution comes- he jams his weapon into the gears and heads back out the door to get O’Hara.

/////////////

Karen is close to freeing her daughter when Henry returns, but not close enough. “Mom!” Iris wails, spluttering through a mouthful of sea water, “It’s too deep!”

“I know, sweetheart,” Karen says, slashing at yet another knot. “I’ve almost got you, don’t worry.”

Henry takes his knife back and dives under the surface. Iris is choking as she tries to breathe, now, and to her mother, every cough feels like a knife through the heart. At last, a final length of rope falls away from the post and Iris kicks free, pushing toward the surface. Karen quickly swims around the pole, and the exhausted five-year-old clings to her. “I’ve got you,” she says. “I’ve got you, Iris. You’re safe.”

//////////////

Juliet hears a horrible grinding noise, and then the slam of the door, and then there are hands on her shoulders and Gus and Carlton are there, telling her she’s safe and she’s okay as they untie the ropes and pull her over the railing. It’s a tricky process, but she doesn’t fall to her death, so they all count it a success. She takes deep breaths as her feet finally find solid ground. “Is Iris okay?” She asks, once she trusts herself to speak.

“We don’t know,” admits Lassiter.

“Mr. Spencer and Shawn and the chief went after her,” adds Gus.

Juliet stares at both of them in disbelief.

“You should call Spencer,” her partner says hurriedly to Gus. “I’ll get some paramedics up here.”

“I don’t need any paramedics!” Juliet argues as Gus paces off, pulling out his phone. “I’m fine!”

“You just spent several hours tied to a clock tower!” Lassiter retorts. “I’m surprised you haven’t gone into shock!”

“Look at me, Carlton! Do you see any injuries? No? I’m fine!” she insists, nearly shouting.

“I’m not talking about physically, O’Hara,” he says quietly.

“I don’t care! It doesn’t matter! Sure, maybe these past few hours have been the worst of my life, and maybe I honestly thought I wouldn’t live through the night and maybe I’m still shaking because I have _never_ felt anything _close_ to that level of fear before but I’m- I’m-” Juliet breaks off as her bluff turns into a choked sob. She she tries to take a step and stumbles, but it doesn’t matter because Lassiter is there, putting his arms around her and drawing her into his chest as she cries. She relaxes against him and finally lets the tears fall.

/////////////

Shawn and Henry stand a few yards away from the swarm of ambulances and police cruisers, both of them wrapped in blankets. Richard Vick had arrived with the SBPD and now he and his family are reuniting as Iris is treated for hypothermia and Karen given towels and blankets to dry off with. The Spencers are both satisfied with a job well done, but they can’t help but worry about what might be happening across the city. As if summoned by the thought, Shawn’s phone rings. “Gus, please tell me you have good news,” he answers.

_”Juliet’s safe,”_ Gus answers, causing Shawn to sigh heavily with relief. _”She’s- well, it’s probably best I don’t give her the phone right now.”_ Shawn frowns at that, but she’s alive, so whatever’s going on, it can’t be that bad. _”How’s Iris?”_

“She’s good, yeah, she’s good,” Shawn says, his voice unsteady. “The whole Vick family is here now. They’re all good.”

_”That’s good,”_ Gus replies.

“Gus, I’ll see you soon, okay? I’m on my way over.”

_”Alright, Shawn. See you soon.”_

Shawn hangs up and turns to his dad. “I’m gonna need a ride to the clock tower.”

“Yeah, okay,” agrees Henry.

///////////////

Gus, Jules, and Lassie are just exiting the clock tower when Shawn and Henry arrive. Gus is a bit in front of the two detectives, who are holding onto each other as if each is afraid the other will disappear if they let go. As soon as Shawn sees his girlfriend, he breaks into a run, and she soon does the same. They meet in the middle of the sidewalk, Juliet’s arms going around Shawn’s neck as his hands grip her hips. They kiss for a solid minute, a passionate mess of heat and desperation. Finally, Shawn breaks the kiss, needing air.

“I was so scared,” Juliet whispers into his neck. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“I’m sorry,” Shawn says hoarsely into her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” she murmurs.

“Juliet,” he pulls back slightly, cupping her face in his hands and wiping away a tear that’s tracking down her cheek. “Jules, I love you.”

“I love you too, Shawn.”

And just like that, they’re kissing again. Behind the tightly twined couple, Lassiter sighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter in this- an epilogue! On a side note, I tried to do this chapter almost as the part was done in the episode- back and forth between the two rescues occurring simultaneously. Let me know what you thought of it! Thanks for reading!


	5. Epilogue: Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the middle of the night on February 25th, and sleep isn't coming easily.

Shawn Spencer is only partially asleep when his girlfriend jolts awake next to him. Juliet thrashes around for a few seconds, breathing erratically as she struggles to sit upright. “Jules,” he says softly. “I’m right here. It’s just a nightmare. You’re safe,” he promises, brushing her blonde curls away from her face. Juliet nods, still breathing heavily. The fear in her blue eyes makes Shawn’s chest tighten, and if he’s hurt that much by only her expression, he can’t even begin to speculate what she’s feeling right now.

“There are too many shadows,” she whispers, drawing her knees up to her chest. “I keep thinking- I know he’s not _here,_ but-”

“I know,” Shawn tells her, shifting to put an arm over her hunched shoulders. “Hey. I’ve got an idea.” Without leaving her side, he manages to plug in the Constellation Projector Gus had gotten him years ago. The glow it emits paints the ceiling with golden stars. “How’s that?” He asks.

Juliet smiles and snuggles deeper into his chest. “I love it,” she replies. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” he murmurs. She tilts her head up and he drops his lips to hers for a kiss. Eventually, both of them fall asleep and they stay there, wrapped up in the blankets and in each other, for the rest of the night.

///////////////

It’s nearly four AM and Karen, Richard, and Iris are all lying in the master bed, but none of them are asleep. Karen is rubbing Iris’ back softly as Richard hums a lullaby, both trying to coax their daughter back to sleep after the third nightmare in as many hours. She wonders how she’s supposed to help the five-year-old get through this when she herself can’t close her eyes without tasting salt water and feeling the rough rope under her hands and seeing Yang’s nightmarish grin, over and over again, while her brain plays the cacophonous, faux-Hitchcock music from the movie set on repeat. If she, a hardened cop and the chief of police, can’t sleep after the previous night’s events, what chance does Iris have?

With a sigh, Karen curls herself around Iris, who’s calmer now, at least. She meets her husband's eyes in the dark, and Richard reaches for her hand. She obliges, holding them both as they fall asleep. Iris is first, her small body relaxing and her breathing evening out. Then Richard dozes off, snoring softly into his pillow. Unfortunately, despite the late hour and the fact that she is truly exhausted, Karen can't bring herself to do so much as close her eyes. She sighs again, trying to get comfortable. It's going to be a long night.

//////////////////

Lassiter startles awake from yet another dream of O’Hara falling, plummeting over the edge as he grabs for her or dropping out of sight as he opens the door, too far away to do anything but watch. The details don’t matter; it’s been the same few variations almost since he’d closed his eyes. Part of him wants to call O’Hara just to hear her voice and reassure himself she’s alright, but it’s late (or really early) and he doesn’t want to wake her. Besides, she’s probably with Spencer. There is, however, one more person Carlton needs to thank. He reaches for his phone and pulls up the messaging app.

//////////////

Gus wakes to the sound of his phone buzzing on the nightstand. For an instant, he’s afraid something has gone wrong again, but it’s only a text from Lassiter.

**Thank you** , it reads. Gus blinks in surprise. Before he can unlock his phone, another message comes through.

**You saved her life.**

**I owe you so much more than I can ever explain.**

For a minute, Gus is unsure how to reply. Eventually, he types, _Of course._ And then, _I’m just glad we all made it out okay._

**Yeah.**

**Goodnight, Guster.**

_Goodnight._

/////////////////

Henry stumbles into the kitchen to make himself a coffee. It’s earlier than he’d normally be up, but he spent much of the night worrying about his son and he hadn’t slept well. Plus, he probably has to go into work today, thanks to his rash acceptance of Karen’s job offer the day before. As he loads water into the coffee maker, the phone rings. He picks it up without bothering to check the number. “Henry Spencer,” he grunts.

_“Hi, Henry,”_ comes Maddie’s voice through the speaker.

Henry nearly drops the phone in shock. “Mads,” he says. “Did you get my text?”

_”Well, yes, but, I… wanted to make sure you were doing okay,”_ she admits. _”You said they didn’t catch the guy?_

“Yeah, he got away,” Henry tells her. “Took a couple of swings at Shawn, too, but he’s fine, don’t worry.”

_”That’s good,_ Maddie responds. _”Tell him I send my love.”_

“Will do.”

_”Henry, I totally understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but… what did he do? What kind of sick game did he make you a part of?”_

Henry swallows roughly, but if he learned one thing after being married to a psychologist for over a decade, it’s that talking really does help. Taking a deep breath, he recounts the story, or at least the main points.

_”Oh my god,”_ she says when he finishes. _”I’m almost sorry I asked.”_

“We’ll get through it,” He murmurs into the handset. “We’ve got each other.”

_”I know you will,”_ Maddie says. _”And I’m just a phone call away if any of you need me.”_

“Thanks, Mads,” Henry says, feeling much better than he had fifteen minutes ago. “I gotta go into work now. I might call you later.”

_”I’d like that,”_ she replies. _”Until later, then.”_

They finish their goodbyes and Henry hangs up, then shoots off a text to Shawn.

**Your mom sends her love.**

For some reason, that doesn’t feel like enough.

**Life’s gonna be hard and confusing for a bit,** he types. **but it’ll get better. You’ll all get stronger.**

Soon enough, there’s a reply. _How long did that take you to come up with, Old Man?_

Henry chuckles and puts the phone away. Maybe ‘normal’ will come back sooner than he thinks.

 

_fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finished! I felt like Henry was a little out of character at the end, but I wrote it a few different ways and this felt the best. Let me know what y'all thought!

**Author's Note:**

> I want you all to know that this is painful to write. If you like it (or hate it and want to make sure I know it) leave a comment!


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